Apparatus for assembling percussion primers



Jan. 9, 1945.

s. E. VAN TUYL APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING PERCUSSION PRIMERS Filed June 10, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 9, 1945. s. E. VAN TUYL APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING PERCUSSION PRIMERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10', 1942 Jan.. 9, 1945. s, E, VAN TUYL 2,366,885

APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING P ERCUSSION PRIMERS Filed June 10, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan. 9, '1945 APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING PERCUSSION PRIMERS Sidney E. Van Tuyl, Riverside, Ill. assignor to American Tag poration of Illinois Company, Chicago, Ill., a cor- Appiication June 10, 1942, Serial No. 446,519

16 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for assembling percussion primers and more particularly to a machine for assembling liner tubes and diaphragms in primer bodies. v

It has heretofore been the practice in assembling percussion primers to roll sheets of paper or the like into tubes by hand and force them into the primer bodies by a hand operation. Thereafter diaphragms also formed of paper or the like have been forced into the primer bodies in an effort to provide a seal in the intermediate portion of the bodies. This operation being substantially entirely handwork has been slow and tedious as well as expensive.

In my copending application, Serial No. 443,710 filed May 20, 1942, I have disclosed and claimed a liner for percussion primers which is preformed and carries as a part thereof a sealing diaphragm. By the use of this construction the Iassembly operation is substantially speeded and a great deal of hand labor previously required is eliminated.

The present invention has for one of its objects the provision of a machine for assembling liners in primer bodies by which the operation can be greatly speeded with the elimination of substantially all handwork.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for assembling percussion lprimers in which the several operations are performed automatically.

Still another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for assembling percussion primers in which the liner is assembled in the primer body and sealing material is applied to the upper end of the liner.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus for assembling percussion primers in which the sealing material is uniformly distributed around the periphery of the diaphragm in the primer body. According to one feature of the invention, the primer bodies are held at an angle to the horizontal and are rotated in order to flow the sealing material around the periphery of the diaphragm.

A still further object of the invention is to provide. apparatus for assembling percussion primers in which the several operations are performed by fluid pressure'under the control of a master control valve.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following descrip-tion when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the operating cycle;

Figure 3 is a partial section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figures 4 and 5 are yenlarged partial sections illustrating application of the sealing material;

and i Figures 6, '7 and 8 are sectional views illustrating the several steps in the assembly operation.

The machine of Figure 1 comprises a frame I0 formed of beams or the like supported at an langle to the horizontal on a base Il by means of posts I2. A conveyor supplies primer bodies to the frame and is illustrated as being formed by a chain I3 having a plurality'of supporting brackets I4 thereon to receive the primer bodies illustrated at I5. As shown, two such chains are provided extending transversely across the framev and supporting the primer bodies I5 at the same angle as the frame. At the side of the frame from which the primer bodies leave, kbars I6 are supported between the chains upon which the primer bodies will rest so that the bodies will be rotated when moving away from the frame for a purpose to appear later.

Liner tubes are supplied to the frame by means of a chute I'I having an o-set lower portion I8 from which the liners are adapted to be' fed by ngers I9. Normally the liners will remain in a vertical stack in the chute Il until the ngers I9 move in to displace the lower-most liner so that it can drop through the off-set portion I8 into a trough 2l on the frame. The fingers I9 are adapted to be operated by a fluid motor 22 shown as comprising a cylinder and piston to reciprocate the fingers.

The primer bodies and liners are fed into register with a guiding and locating head 23 xedly supported on the frame. As best seen in Figures 6 to 8, the head is formed with a cylindrical bore 24 having an enlarged seat portion 25 at one end to receive the open end of the tubularprimer body. Preferably a conical tapered inward end is provided to guide the primer body into the seat. At the opposite end a similar \conical tapered portion 21 is provided in the head to guide the liner tubes as shown at 28 into the opening 24.

The liner tubes are adapted to be forced into the primer body by means of a plunger 29 aligned with the opening 24 and carried by a block 3i which is slidable on the frame I0. A stop pin 32 may be inserted in any one of a series of Openings 33 in the frame to limit forward movement of the block thereby to adapt the machine qickly and easily to the handling of liners of different lengths.

The block 3| is adapted to be reciprocated on the frame by a uid motor 34 shown as comprising an elongated cylinder secured to the frame and carrying a piston connected by a piston rod 35 to the block. The primer bodies are adapted to be forced into the opposite end of the head 23 to seat at 25 by means of a similar fluid motor 36 secured to the frame and having its piston carrying a head 3l to engage the lower end of the primer body.

The liner tubes 28 illustrated herein are of the type more particularly described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 443,710 led May 20, 1942, and comprise a tubular body of paper or the like sealed at one end by a relatively lat diaphragm 38 coated with sealing material 39. After these liners are assembled in the primer bodies it is desirable that a relatively small quantity of sealing material should be injected around the periphery of the diaphragmvto insure that it will seal tightly against the walls of the primer body. For this purpose the plunger 25 is made hollow asbest seen in Figures 4 and 5 and is formed at its forward endfwith a reduced cylinder 4| communicating with outlet passages s 42 which terminate adjacent the peripheryofthe plunger. A small plunger or piston 43 is reciprocable in the plunger $5l and is adapted to'enter the cylindrical portion 4| to force a measured charge of sealing material therefrom through thel outlet openings 42. rIfhe plunger 29 is kept full of sealing material at all times from any suitable supply through a exible conduit 44 connected g with the head:3| and. through the head with the interior of they plunger.

The piston 43 is reciprocated by a uid motor 45. comprising a cylinder carried by a bracket 4tV on the head 3| and having its piston directly` connected to the piston .43. Thismotor will reciprocate withl theheadand will, when energized, cause the piston 43 to enter the cylinder 4| and force a measured charge of sealing material therefrom. This operationV is shown in FiguresV 4 and 5, Figure 'illustrating how= the-sealing material is forcedithrough the/passages 42. around the periphery of the diaphragm 38. i

The machine is. operated by a motor shown as` an electric motor 41 secured to the frame l0 andy which may run constantly during operation of the machine. The motor operates through a speed reducer'48 todrive a control valve 49. This valve is not shown in detail butl is preferably a rotary type Valve having a series of ports therein to establish communication with the several fluid motors at the desired times in the operating cycle to affect both operating and return movements of the several motors. The outlet end or" the valve shaft carries a Geneva drive motion including a rotating collar 5| having an eccentric pin thereon for cooperation with spaced notches in a disc 52. The disc 52 is connected to one of the sprockets carrying the conveyor chains so that the conveyor will be fed intermittently.

The operating cycle of the machine is illustrated in Figure 2. In the position of the parts at the top of the diagram a primer body has just been fed into register with the guide collar 23 and a liner tube has just been fed onto the trough 2|. At this point, fluid is admitted to the lower end of thecylinder 36 to advance the head 31 which engages the lower end of the primer body and forcesthe primerr body into the head. as shown phragm. As this plunger advances it engages the diaphragm on the liner tube and forces the tube and diaphragm through the opening 24 into the primer body to the desired depth as determined by the-stop pin32. When this operation is completed, fluid is admitted to the left end of the cylinder 45 to advance the piston 43 to inject paint or other sealing material around the periphery of the diaphragm. This operation is indicated by the-.short.lineadjacentl the 'bottomY of the diaphragm.

Upon' completion of the; paint injecting operation the fluid connections tc the piston `34 and 35 are reversed to retract the plunger and the head 31. Whenthis isv done, `the primer body with theliner assembled. therein; andwith sealing material applied will dropy away from` thehea'd 23 onto the conveyor. At this .pointthe conveyor will be advanced' throughr the Geneva motionto bring thenextl primerbody into alignmentwith the ,head 23 and thef'motorv 22:'will1'be actuatedfto feed the next liner onto the trough'2l. The'cycle is then completed; ready for a'xrepetition'of the operation.

As the primer bodiesyare carriedaway from the frame by the conveyorI theywillmest. on'the rails I6 and will accordinglybe rotatedabout their own axis while .being heldr atan angle tol the diaphragme will :bef sealedcompletelyaround their peripheryaready. for 'azsu'bsequent drying operation.

In addition to'assembling .percussiomprimers of the specific type described above; thelmachine of the .present inventionA may-:also .be1used'toassemble primers of the type in Which-no diaphragm intermediate the ends of .thev primer body is` employed. Inzthis type r of `construction a liner tubeis inserted. in the primer bcdyfwith its closed Yend lying acljacentfthev closed. endxrof the body and the openings' :in the :bodyl ares'ealed by theapplicationof paint or likesoothingmaterial. It hasbeen'found'n.` thistype ofs'assembly that leakagefis aptto occun threaded,v into the end' yof `the r'bodyfandf itziis .important that this. plug: be sealed-in. orderztorpreventv such leakage. 29 may be forcedintoftheprimerbody .completelyto the end thereofwithoutv any :linerin the body and a chargevof.-sealing"nlaterialimay` be forcedl throughv the plunger. to seal=` :around the; periphery` yof thehthreaded; plug.v Thereafter the liner maybe insertediby'af.similarplunger which .in this-case neednot beV hollow. It ,will

be understood that these twoi..operations'.can^be.

separately performedv on f differenti maehinesor that, if desired, two .headsmight- :be -.provi'ded to .perform a wtwofstagerop on thesame machine eration.

Fori this purpose;thephinger` derstood that this embodiment is villustrative only and is not intended as a definition of the scope of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for assembling percussion primers comprising a head having an opening therethrough, means for holding a tubular primer body against the head in register with one end of the opening, a plunger adapted to pass through the opening to force a liner tube into the body, the plunger being hollow and having a discharge opening at its outer end, means to advance the plunger, and means to force sealing material through the discharge opening after the plunger has been advanced.

2. Apparatus for assembling percussion primers comprising a head having an opening therethrough, means for holding a tubular primer body against the head in register with one end of the opening, a plunger adapted to pass through the opening to force a liner tube into the body, the plunger being hollow and having a discharge opening at its outer end, a piston slidable in the plunger to force a measured quantity of sealing material through the discharge opening, means to advance the plunger, and means for thereafter moving the piston to 'feed the sealing material.

3. Apparatus for assembling percussion primers comprising means for supporting a tubular primer body at an acute angle to horizontal, means for forcing a tubular liner down into a primer body supported by the first-named means, means for supplying sealing material to the upper end of the liner after it has been forced into the primer body, and means for rotating the primer body with the liner and sealing material therein while maintaining it at an angle to horizontal.

4. Apparatus for assembling percussion primers comprising means for supporting a tubular primer body at an acute angle to horizontal, means for forcing a tubular liner down into a primer body supported by the first named means, with a substantially flat sealing diaphragm on top of the liner, means for depositing a small quantity of sealing material at the periphery of the diaphragm after it has :been forced into the primer body, and means for rotating the body with the diaphragm and sealing material therein while maintaining it at an angle to horizontal to distribute the sealing material around the periphery of the diaphragm.

5. Apparatus for assembling percussion primers comprising a head having an opening therethrough, a conveyor for moving tubular primer bodies successively into register with the head, means for moving and holding a primer body registering with the head against the head at one end thereof, means for successively feeding liner tubes into register with the other end of the head, means including a plunger for forcing the liner tubes through the head into the primer bodies, and control means for actuating the conveyor, the moving and holding means, the tube feeding means and the plunger in timed relation.

6. Apparatus for assembling percussion primers comprising a head having an opening therethrough, a conveyor for moving tubular primer bodies successively into. register With the head, means for moving and holding a primer body registering with the head against the head at one end thereof, means for successively feeding liner tubes into register with the other end of the head, means including a plunger for forcing the liner tubes through the head into the primer bodies, means cooperating with the plunger to feed a small quantity of sealing material therethrough at the end of the forcing stroke of the plunger, and control means for actuating the conveyor, the moving and holding means, the tube feeding means, the plunger and the sealing material feeding means in timed relation.

7. Apparatus for assembling percussion primers comprising a head having an opening therethrough, a conveyor for moving tubular primer bodies successively into register with the head, means .for moving and holding a primer body registering with the head against the head at one end thereof, means for successively feeding liner tubes into register with the other end of the head, means including a plunger for forcing the liner tubes through the head into the primer bodies, means cooperating with the plunger to feed a small quantity of sealing material therethrough at the end of the forcing stroke of the plunger, a continuously operating motor, intermittent drive means operated by the motor to drive the conveyor, and control means operated by the motcr for actuating the moving and holding means, the tube feeding means, the plunger and the sealing material feeding means in timed relation with the conveyor.

8, Apparatus for assembling primer bodies comprising a head having an opening therethrough, a conveyor for successively moving tubular primer bodies into register with the head, power means for intermittently driving the conveyor, a fluid motor for moving and holding the primer bodies against one end of the head, means for feeding liner tubes into register with the other end of the head, a uid motor for actuating the liner tube feed, a plunger to force the liner tubes through the head into the primer bodies, a fluid motor to operate the plunger, and a control valve operated by the power means t0 actuate the fluid motors in timed relation. V

9. Apparatus for assembling primer bodies comprising a head having an opening therethrough, a conveyor for successively moving tubular primer bodies into register with the head, power means for intermittently driving the conveyor, a fluid motor for moving and holding the primer bodies against one end of the head, means for feeding liner tubes into register with the other end of the head, a iiuid motor for actuating the liner tube feed, a plunger to force the liner tubes through the head into the primer bodies, a iiuid motor to operate the plunger, a

second plunger cooperating with the first plunger to feed a small amount of sealing material therethrough, a fluid motor for operating the second plunger, and a control valve operated by the power means to actuate the uid motors in timed relation. v

10. In an apparatus for assembling percussion primers, means for forcing liners into tubular primer bodies comprising a reciprocable plunger, the plunger being hollow and having a peripheral outlet opening at its outer end, means to supply sealing material to the plunger, a piston slidable in the plunger to force sealing material through the outlet opening, and a motor reciprocable with the plunger and connected to the piston to operate it.

11; In an apparatus for assembling percussion primers, means for forcing liners into tubular primer bodies comprising a reciprocable plunger,

the. plunger being hollow-andrhaving a: peripheeral outlet?x opening. at: its fou-ter :end, :means l'to supplylzsealing material to; the -plunger, a; .'.piston sli'clable in the plungertojforce sealing material throughthe outletppeningaacylinder reciprocable withV theiplunger, 'iat' piston inthe cylinder connectedto" the rst namedz.piston,zand flexible conduits-to' supply Voperating fluidtoithe .cylinden 412`.. In :an apparatus for assembling*v .percussion primers', :means for'A forcingv liners into tubular' primer bodies l `comprising La: re ciprocable plunger, the'zplungertbeing hollowv andi having:v a 1 peripheral .outlet opening :atx. itsk .outer-fend, .means f to supply sealing material;to.tl'ie:plunger,:a piston sli'dable; inthe plunger toio'rcef'sealing; material through the outlet:"opening,` Va block vconnected to thezplun'gerA and reeiprocable therewith, v:a fluid motor connected t0 thefblock to. reciprocate it, auidzmotor. carried byfthe 'block iandzconnected toztheapiston, and a controlyalve tocontrol' opers ationzof .the uid. motorszintimed. sequence.

13.. In .a machine for v.assembling percussion primers, ahead having anaopening therethrough,

aseo-,ssa

- rial therein.

.15, Apparatus f forY assembling percussion v prim-v ers comprising; aframe lying at an acutek angle` to .the horizontal, means for carrying tubular primer bodies acrossthe frameat the same angle as theframe, means on the frame t0 insert a substantiallyflat diaphragm and a vsmall amount of sealing material intoeach body as it registers Wtih .the frame, and means cooperatingwith the bodiesy asatliey.f move away from theframe to.` rotate them to distribute the sealing material around. the periphery of the diaphragm.

v16. Apparatus for assembling' percussion vprimerscovmprising'aframe lying atl an acute angle to .the horizontal, means forcarrying tubular primer bodies across the frame at thesame` angle as the frame, means on the frame to insert a substantially flat diaphragm and a small'amount of sealing material into each body as it registers with the frame, and bars underlying the carrying means and uponl whichthe bodies roll as they;l move `away from the frame to. distribute the sealing material around the periphery of the diaphragm. I

SIDNEY E. VAN TUYL. 

